ANNA Renal Update 2/19-20

The Puget Sound Chapter of ANNA will present its 2015 Renal Update conference on February 19-20, 2015.  There will be no onsite registration, and online registration must be completed by February 9th.  Topics will include Communication, PD, Water, Diet, Vitamin D, CKD, Ebola, Vascular Access, Brain Health, Pediatric Care, Transplant, and others.  Details, including agenda and registration instructions, can be found at https://www.nwrn.org/files/N/2015RenalUpdate.pdf.

More on Ebola

The Ebola situation in the US is changing fast.  Find up-to-the-minute information at http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/.  Here are some recent resources that may be useful:

• Readiness Self-Assessment for State and Local Public Health Officials, http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/preparedness/planning-tips-top10.html
• NIH web page on Ebola, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ebola.html
• Evaluating Ebola Risk, http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/exposure/risk-factors-when-evaluating-person-for-exposure.html
• Flu vs. Ebola, http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/pdf/is-it-flu-or-ebola.pdf
• Hemodialysis and Ebola: http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/hcp/guidance-dialysis.html

Other Ebola and Infection Resources

In addition to the CDC resources, several other sources have contributed useful tools on Ebola and other types of infection.

• The American Society of Nephrology has added an Ebola session to its ASN Kidney Week 2014 agenda, which will take place November 14, 2014.  For details on this and other ASN-recommended tools, see http://www.asn-online.org/news/2014/1017-ebola.aspx.

• The ASN Ebola page above includes a link to their detailed 9-page pdf on “FAQs Regarding Ebola Virus Disease and Dialysis.”  Find this directly at https://www.asn-online.org/news/2014/ASN_FAQs_Ebola_Virus_Disease_and_Dialysis.pdf.

• The American Nephrology Nurses’ Association has added a web page on “ANNA Ebola Update: Information and Resources,” at http://www.annanurse.org/article/ebola.

• The Kidney Community Emergency Response Coalition’s KCER Infection Prevention page links to many useful tools applicable to any infection, though Ebola adds special isolation requirements.  See http://kcercoalition.com/resources/infection-prevention/.

• The KCER page includes links to two concise one-page summaries on…
  • CDC Approach to BSI Prevention in Dialysis Facilities at http://www.cdc.gov/dialysis/PDFs/Dialysis-Core-Interventions-5_10_13.pdf
  • Put Together the Pieces to Prevent Infections in Dialysis Patients at http://www.cdc.gov/dialysis/PDFs/Dialysis-provider_poster.pdf (English) and http://www.cdc.gov/dialysis/PDFs/Spanish-Dialysis-Provider_Poster.pdf (Spanish)

CDC Updates: Ebola and Other Topics

The Centers for Disease Control has an extensive network of bulletins and updates – more than most people would want in their email inbox.  However, depending on your job or interests, some are important.

• For established CDC web pages such as “Dialysis Safety” at http://www.cdc.gov/dialysis/ there’s an easy-to-use box on the right side of the screen titled “Get Email Updates.”

• For other very useful web pages like the “Health Alert Network” at http://emergency.cdc.gov/han/ the process is much more arcane, but the “Sign Up for HAN E-mail Updates” link on that page does provide clear instructions (and an introduction to the breadth of CDC’s scope!).

• For newer web pages like the Ebola page at http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/ the update bulletin process isn’t specified yet, so checking that page every several days may be a good strategy while the situation is changing rapidly and CDC is posting new material literally daily.

• For instance, on October 21, 2014 CDC released a very handy new 1-page bulletin called “Factsheet: Healthcare Workers – Could It Be Ebola?”  You can find it on the Ebola page, or at http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/pdf/could-it-be-ebola.pdf.

• For the full array of CDC email updates, go to https://service.govdelivery.com/accounts/USCDC/subscriber/new and enter your email address.  You won’t be asked for another useless password or other complications, and it’s very easy to use – but the list is very long!

• In our Network area, St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula is one of four hospitals in the US specifically prepared to handle emerging infectious diseases like Ebola.  See http://montana.providence.org/hospitals/st-patrick/about/press-room/ for more information.

CDC Ebola Recommendations

CDC has issued an Official Health Advisory to their Health Alert Network on Evaluating Patients for Possible Ebola Virus Disease: Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel and Health Officials.  The Recommendations mostly involve screening travelers returning from West Africa and notifying state and local health authorities, with links to infection prevention control guidelines and resources.  The Advisory is at http://emergency.cdc.gov/han/han00371.asp.

Ebola

CDC has released “Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Hospitalized Patients with Known or Suspected Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever in U.S. Hospitals.”  Standard, contact, and droplet precautions are recommended for any patients with known or suspected Ebola hemorrhagic fever.  Though these recommendations focus on the hospital setting, the recommendations for personal protective equipment (PPE) and environmental infection control measures are applicable to any healthcare setting.  This guidance is not intended to apply to persons outside of healthcare settings.  As additional information becomes available, these recommendations will be re-evaluated and updated as needed.  See http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/hcp/infection-prevention-and-control-recommendations.html.